Phoenix police: Officers shoot, kill driver after pursuit

Phoenix police shot and killed a man who drove toward officers with a child in the car near Van Buren Street and 27th Avenue late Monday evening, authorities said.

Police attempted to pull over a man in a blue Ford Taurus about 11:30 p.m. after watching him drive in a manner that led police to believe he was impaired, said Sgt. Trent Crump, a spokesman for the Phoenix Police Department.

The man wouldn’t pull over and continued to drive his car in a reckless manner, Crump said.

The man stopped at a red light at the intersection of McDowell Road and Interstate 17. Police then attempted to block the man’s car, which caused him to drive directly at them, Crump said.

Police followed the man to a neighborhood near Van Buren Street and 27th Avenue where he drove into a brick wall along the driveway of a house police believe is his, Crump said.

As police approached the car, the man accelerated in reverse at the officers and one officer shot at him, Crump said.

The man’s car collided with a police SUV, a Chevrolet Tahoe, and the man attempted to drive in the direction of another officer, Crump said.

An officer then shot the man, who was pronounced dead immediately after, Crump said.

Once the car was stopped, officers found a 5-year-old in the passenger seat, Crump said.

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